Laurier Tops The Class in University Curling

The Laurier Golden Hawks went to school on the competition and graduated at the head of the class in both men's and women's action at the 2008 CIS/CCA Canadian University Curling Championships. Both teams utilized impressive playoff runs in capturing their respective titles in play which concluded at the Guelph Curling Club on Sunday, March 16.
After downing a determined University of Regina foursome in a tie-breaker just to make the playoffs, Laurier's Hollie Nicol led Laura Hickey, Danielle Inglis, Erica Butler and Hilary McDermott to a quarter- final matchup with #1 seeded Brock. Throughout the week's pool play, the Badgers looked like a team to be reckoned with as they rolled to an unblemished 6-0 record. Alas, it was not to be as the Golden Hawks put a three count in the seventh end to good use en route to the 9-6 victory.
Laurier's 9-3 semi-final win against #4 seeded Laurentian was never really in doubt. The Lady Vees finished pool play with a 4-2 record and had subdued Alberta in an exciting quarter final matchup, but they got behind early and stayed there in this contest.
The University of Manitoba gained their berth in the final with impressive playoff wins over Guelph and Calgary. Keileigh Strath skipped the #2 ranked Bison team of Theresa Cannon, Jolene Rutter and Danielle Schrumm. The championship game was a back and forth affair which held the spectators on hand spell-bound throughout. Laurier trailed 4-2 after six ends, and managed to take only a single in the seventh. They rallied however, to steal the eighth and ninth ends to lead 5-4 coming home. In the tenth, when Manitoba's last rock effort didn't go according to plan, the Golden Hawks had stolen two more for the 7-4 victory.
At the end of men's pool play there was only one undefeated team on the board and it wasn't skipped by Charley Thomas, Codey Maus or even eventual champion Mike Anderson. Trevor Bonot led his Lakehead University Thunderwolves down from Superior and made short work of the competition in "C" pool. His 6-0 record was good for top seed in the playoffs and a date with a determined University of Regina squad which had survived tie-breakers against McGill and Western. Byron Moffatt and his Cougars upended the Thunderwolves 9-4, but fell
7-5 to CharleyThomas and theUniversity of Calgary Dinos in semi-final play.
The Laurier team of Mike Anderson, Bill Francis, Paul Arkilander, Matt Mapletoft and Scott McGregor made their way to the final game with convincing playoff wins over Guelph in the quarters and Brock in the semi's.
Calgary's Thomas, who had J.D. Lind, Matthew Ng and Cameron Rustad along for support, got down early, but made a game of it in the latter ends. The Dinos trailed 5-4 playing the ninth when Laurier cracked a four count and the game was decided. Make the final score 9-4.
Both Laurier teams will prove to be fine ambassadors for Candian university curling when they travel to China and the 2009 FISU Games.